US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1756

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 001756 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - 
ROBERT PALLADINO 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, TW, Cross Strait Politics 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CROSS-STRAIT MEDIA EXCHANGES, 
JAPANESE HISTORY TEXTBOOK CONTROVERSY 
 
 
1. Summary: Major Chinese-languages Taipei dailies 
started to comment April 12 on a Mainland Affairs 
Council's (MAC) announcement Sunday that Taiwan would 
temporary ban China's Xinhua News Agency and the 
People's Daily from sending journalists to Taiwan.  The 
pro-independence "Liberty Times" editorial supported 
MAC's decision by saying these so-called cross-Strait 
"media exchanges" are basically a "fairy tale that 
deceives all people" in light of the lack of press 
freedom in China. The centrist "China Times," on the 
other hand, ran an editorial that suggested Taiwan's 
"open society" is its greatest asset and the one thing 
that makes Taiwan better than China.  Taiwan would 
become a "total loser" if it were to give up this 
asset, the editorial said.  Kao Ling-yun, a "United 
Evening News" reporter who was a participant in the 
Spring 2004 Jefferson Fellowship program at the East- 
West Center, said in an op-ed piece in the pro- 
unification "United Daily News" that media exchanges 
are an international trend and Taiwan should not brag 
about being democratic while at the same time trying to 
aggressively control media outlets. 
 
2. The anti-Japanese protests in China and South Korea 
against Japan's history textbooks that justify Japan's 
aggression during World War II still did not receive 
significant coverage in the major Chinese-language 
newspapers in Taiwan April 12.  Stories on the protests 
were buried deep in the last few pages of these 
newspapers, and only two limited-circulation English- 
language newspapers commented on the issue.  The pro- 
independence English-language "Taipei Times" editorial 
cautioned the Taiwan government to be sensitive to 
tensions between Japan and China while avoiding 
becoming directly involved in any Sino-Japanese 
dispute.  The pro-unification English-language "China 
Post" focused its commentary on China's attempt to 
"block" Japan's rise in international stature.  End 
summary. 
 
1. Cross-Strait Media Exchanges 
 
A) "With News Coverage That Distorts Truth, What Is the 
Need to Talk about [Cross-Strait] Media Exchanges?" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 
800,000] editorialized (4/12): 
 
". Taiwan and China are two totally different 
countries.  Taiwan enjoys democracy and freedom, but 
China is a totalitarian country.  In terms of press 
freedom, Taiwan's media not only enjoys freedom of the 
press but has also enjoyed too much freedom of the 
press.  As for China, all its media outlets are 
politically controlled, let alone press freedom.  The 
Chinese Communist Party's `party-controlled propaganda' 
is now practically a sacred doctrine that cannot be 
violated.  Under such a situation whereas both sides of 
the Taiwan Strait enjoy uneven freedom of press, the so- 
called cross-Strait `media exchanges' are nothing but a 
fairy tale that deceives all people. 
 
"Take the cases of Xinhua News Agency and People's 
Daily as an example, the government's opening policy 
[to allow these two Chinese media outlets to send 
journalists to Taiwan] was originally designated to 
promote Chinese people's understanding of Taiwan.  But 
as China's official mouthpieces, how could the Xinhua 
News Agency and People's Daily maintain an objective 
viewpoint and the principle of genuine reporting when 
they covered, reported and commented on Taiwan's news? 
To put it more plainly, the performance of the Xinhua 
News Agency and People's Daily is tantamount to 
reaching deep into Taiwan and conducting political work 
for the Beijing authorities; they are basically serving 
the politics of `twisting Taiwan's reality from Taiwan. 
.'  Their behavior not only will not `contribute to the 
understanding across the Taiwan Strait' but have 
deepened the Chinese people's misunderstanding of 
Taiwan's public opinion and the value of democracy and 
freedom.  As a result, the move to allow Xinhua News 
Agency and People's Daily to send journalists to Taiwan 
has done nothing favorable for either Taiwan or the 
Chinese people. ." 
 
B) "An `Open Society' Is Taiwan's Greatest Asset. 
Please Cherish It!" 
 
An editorial of the centrist, pro-status quo "China 
Times" [circulation: 600,000] wrote (4/12): 
 
". This is the function of media.  One does not see an 
immediate effect [of media reporting], but it gradually 
opens the vision of media . and the self-consciousness 
of the reporters.  [Through media reporting], the most 
valued characteristics of Taiwan's society can thus be 
revealed - namely, Taiwan's democracy, rule of law, 
freedom of speech and thinking - none of which are 
something that mainland China can compare to.  Even if 
mainland China's economic growth continues to surge or 
its military power continues to grow, it cannot turn 
into an open society in a short period of time.  What 
Taiwan should attach the greatest importance to is in 
fact this invisible asset that is deep-rooted in the 
people of Taiwan. . 
 
"Now, even if Taiwan's economic power is not as strong 
as that of mainland China's; its military strength is 
weaker that of mainland China's and its influence on 
the international society is much inferior than that of 
mainland China's, its free and open society, democracy 
and rule of law is actually the most important key that 
makes itself a winner over China.  Taiwan will be a 
total loser if it wants to give up this last advantage. 
." 
 
C) "[Taiwan] Brags about Itself Being Democratic But 
Still Gruffly Constrains the Media" 
 
United Evening News Journalist Kao Lin-yun wrote an op- 
ed article in the conservative, pro-unification, 
Chinese-language "United Daily News" [circulation: 
600,000] (04/12): 
 
"The Mainland Affairs Council made the decision to ban 
journalists from People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency 
from covering news in Taiwan.  The decision is not 
conducive for the accumulation of goodwill with regard 
to cross-Strait interaction.  Instead, it reflects in 
particular the hostility toward the media in the 
consciousness of the [Taiwan] government.  The 
government made the attempt to punish the Chinese media 
outlets . simply because it is displeased with the 
Chinese authorities.  The attempt, which lacks 
democratic spirit, is the same as the Government 
Information Office's decision a few years ago to use 
censorship to oppress Taiwan's media that criticized 
the government. . 
 
"Taiwan has always been proud of itself as being more 
democratic than China politically.  Can a democracy 
find it hard to handle even two media outlets? 
Moreover, since the government dared to allow Chinese 
media outlets to send journalists to Taiwan, it should 
be capable of enduring their [negative] reports.  Or 
does the government want to demand those Chinese media 
outlets to become its own mouthpiece? ." 
 
2. Japanese History Textbook Controversy 
 
A) "Avoid Fanning Sino-Japanese Unrest" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (4/12): 
 
 ". Such an upsurge of anti-Japanese nationalism will 
necessarily rouse Japanese nationalism.  China's and 
South Korea's joint protests against Japan have made 
Tokyo feel isolated and threatened.  This is likely to 
make it more determined to secure its security 
relationship with the US.  Japan's rearmament, 
therefore, seems, inevitable. 
 
"With the expansion of the Sino-Japanese conflict, 
Taiwan's security and regional stability could suffer. 
Taiwan and Japan are both threatened by China. 
Washington and Tokyo have noted their concerns over 
Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait in their joint declaration 
on security.  However, recent incidents, such as the 
Anti-Secession Law and Taiwan's Solidarity Union 
Chairman Shu Chin-chiang's visit to the Yasukuni 
Shrine, have polarized Taiwanese public opinion with 
regard to China and Japan.  The government should be 
sensitive to tension between Japan and China and 
prepare a response strategy, but for the moment it 
should avoid getting directly involved in any Sino- 
Japanese dispute." 
 
B) "PRC Blocking Japan's Rise" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" [circulation: 30,000] observed in an 
editorial (4/12): 
 
"Beijing is trying to block the rise of Japan by 
keeping it out of the United Nations Security Council. 
Grave implications are in store for Taiwan. . 
 
"If china prevented Japan's elevation, it would mark 
their most serious confrontation since Japan's invasion 
of China in 1937. 
 
"The U.S. and Japan are well-prepared for the worst 
scenario with China, but Taiwan, unfortunately, is on 
the wrong side of it." 
 
PAAL